1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pads, covers, and the like for protecting various devices from damage due to impact, and more specifically to a protective cover for a hand held electric hairdryer to preclude damage thereto if the device is dropped or otherwise receives a sharp impact.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electromechanical devices are generally relatively fragile, and are subject to damage if dropped or otherwise suffer from an impact. While solid state devices are also subject to such impact damage, devices having electrically resistive heating elements, electric motors, switches, etc., are particularly prone to impact damage in the event of a sudden physical shock, as by dropping the device on a hard floor or similar impact.
The above statement applies particularly to one specific type of electrical appliance, i.e., the portable, hand held electric hair dryer, and particularly when used in the hairstyling or beauty salon environment. Many, if not most, such appliances are configured for professional use and may have greater durability for operating for a much higher percentage of the time than a household unit. However, this also means that they are handled a great deal more than a typical household unit of similar function, and are thus subject to accidental impact or dropping more frequently than a household unit as well. Add to this the fact that most salons where such devices are used have hard flooring for ease of cleanup, as opposed to the carpeting typically found throughout most rooms of a household, and it becomes apparent that the professionally used hand held hairdryer is subject to considerable wear and tear, particularly due to impact damage.
While manufacturers have done their best within the economic constraints imposed to produce devices which are resistant to such damage, the relatively heavy electric motors and the relatively fragile electrically resistive heating elements and plastic cases or housings result in such devices often being rendered inoperable if they are dropped onto a hard surface from just a few feet above the surface. Such devices are often damaged beyond economic repair when dropped, and the replacement of such devices is obviously quite costly.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a padded protective cover for hand held hairdryers, which extends about the housing or case of the device to cushion the most massive portion of the hairdryer in the event of a fall. The present protective cover comprises one or more bands which extend about the upper or back surface of the motor housing, serving to cushion that area of the dryer particularly. The present protective cover is readily adaptable to various sizes and styles of hand held hairdryers by means of the adjustment provided, and includes clearances for the inlet area of various types and styles of hairdryers. The present cover is particularly well suited for protecting hand held hairdryers from damage, as the device will tend to orient itself with the relatively heavy motor housing positioned downwardly during a fall, due to the drag of the electrical cord and other lighter components. Thus, the present protective cover is particularly well suited for reducing or precluding damage to the hair dryer motor and its housing, which components are most likely to incur damage if not otherwise protected.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,597,552 issued on May 20, 1952 to Stanley T. Wagner, titled "Combined Cover And Silencer For Electric Shavers," describes a continuous wrapping of resilient strip material about the body of an electric razor, with the resilient material being covered by a continuous fabric sheet. The only openings provided in the Wagner cover are a relatively small access for the starting wheel for the particular make and model of electric razor for which the cover is constructed, and an openable cover for the shaver head itself. Wagner does not provide additional openings for air inlets and outlets, as provided by the present hairdryer protective cover. Moreover, Wagner covers the resilient material with a "textile material" (col. 2, lines 16, 17), but does not make any statement regarding water resistance for such material. In contrast, the present protective cover provides protection for the motor case or housing area without unnecessarily encompassing the remainder of the device, and provides a waterproof (or at least water resistant) covering for the protective padding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,149 issued on May 15, 1990 to Peter DiFrancesca et al., titled "Shock Absorbing Unit," describes a unitary device formed of a molded resilient material for protecting a television remote control unit or the like. The DiFrancesca et al. device comprises opposed protective end components which slip over each end of the remote unit, with the two end components being connected by a single band of the same material as the end components. No outer cover of water resistant material is disclosed by DiFrancesca et al., as provided by the present protective cover. Moreover, DiFrancesca et al. teach away from the present invention, as the central portion of the remote unit is left exposed with the two ends being covered, essentially opposite the configuration of the present protective cover with its wraps about the central portion of the hairdryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,720 issued on Nov. 30, 1993 to Loris Meliconi, titled "Shock-Proof Protective Jacket For A Remote Control Unit," describes a device made of a resilient material which essentially encloses the entire remote unit, excepting the front face with its control panel. The sides, bottom, and both ends are completely enclosed by the Meliconi cover, unlike the present protective cover. Meliconi teaches away from the present cover, in that such remote control devices require only a single opening for signal transmission and do not require both inlet and outlet openings, as in the case of a hairdryer or similar device. In any event, the Meliconi device does not include a moistureproof outer cover, as provided by the present invention, and the rectangular shape is not adaptable to the generally cylindrical body of a hairdryer, as provided by the present protective cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,392,920 issued on Feb. 28, 1995 to Richard Prete, titled "Impact Protector For Fragile Article," describes a device for protecting a small, hand held computer, calculator or the like. The Prete device comprises a peripheral frame formed of a relatively dense plastic, such as polyurethane or the like. The device has a pair of opposed flanges extending outwardly from the periphery for absorbing impact, while leaving the center of the device open and exposed. The Prete device is thus more closely related to the protective devices of the DiFrancesca et al. '149 and Meliconi '720 U.S. Patents discussed above, than to the present invention which leaves the ends of the hairdryer exposed while protecting the main body of the hairdryer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,209 issued on Oct. 8, 1996 to Patricia N. Jackson et al., titled "Heat Resistant Curling Iron Cooler," describes a generally cylindrical curling iron holder with a conical mouth. The device has a foam rubber outer cover, with a heat resistant inner coating (Teflon.TM., etc.). The device completely encloses and covers the hot end of the iron when the iron is placed therein, whereas the present protective cover leaves both the inlet and outlet ends or vents open, in order to provide for operability of the hair dryer secured therein. Thus, the function of the Jackson et al. container is essentially opposite that of the present invention, as the Jackson et al. holder is intended for use only when the appliance is not being used, and is intended to preclude contact with the hot elements of the iron.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,757 issued on Jul. 15, 1997 to Salvatore J. Vernace et al., titled "Remote Control Protective Holder And Detection Device," describes a device for fitting about the periphery of a remote control device, while leaving the center open for access to the control keys. At least a portion of the device is formed of an elastomer material, but the device also includes electronic circuitry enabling it to be seen in the dark and providing a light source for the keypad portion of the controller. The peripheral padding, as opposed to the circumferential padding of the present protector, results in a device more closely related to the DiFrancesca et al. '149, Meliconi '720, and Prete '920 U.S. Patents discussed above, than to the present invention.
Finally, British Patent Publication No. 2,064,319 published on Jun. 17, 1981 to Handydryer Products Ltd., titled "Hair Drying Equipment," describes a rack or holder for holding a hand held hairdryer when the dryer is not in use. The device mounts semipermanently to the edge of a table, shelf, or the like, and does not secure to the hairdryer itself. The hairdryer only nests in the device when not in use, and is not positively secured to the Handydryer Products Ltd. holder in any way, as opposed to the present protective cover which is positively secured about the body of the hairdryer.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.